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How to Write a Pantoum Poem

Structure

Rules

A Pantoum poem can be any length, however it must consist of 4-line stanzas (a quatrain). The structure is similar to a Villanelle. The first line of a new stanza repeats the second line of the previous stanza. The third line of the new stanza repeats the fourth line of the previous stanza. The second and fourth lines of the new stanza are new, original and not previously written. In the next stanza, the newly written lines are repeated in the first and third line!!

Rules

Previous Stanza:

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3

Line 4

Rules/Format

Pantoum's do not have to rhyme, it is up to the author. The length of each line is also decided by the author, (for example, there is no specific syllable count), and the poem can contain any amount of stanzas. The essence of a Pantoum is that every single line is repeated. After the first stanza, the repetition begins.

New Stanza:

Line 2

New Line

Line 4

New Line

History of the Pantoum

History

The Pantoum was created in Malaysia during the 15th century as a short folk poem. It was originally two rhyming lines (or couplets), which were sung or recited. In the 19th century the Pantoum was introduced to the Western culture, amd became popular. The style was changed and adapted to be like old French forms, for example the Villanelle and Rondeau. The significance of rhyming was then lost. It is unknown who invented the Pantoum form!

Victor Hugo

Charles Baudelaire

Theodore De Banville

Poets who have used the Pantoum Form

Relating Poets

Austin Dobson

John Ashbery

Pantoum Example

Example

A very famous English Pantoum poem would be "Parents' Pantoum" by Carolyn Kizer, written in 1996. Another example, "Pantoum" by John Ashbery, was created 1956. It is different from other pieces because of his changes in punctuation.

Parents' Pantoum- Carolyn Kizer

Parents Pantoum Stanzas 1-4

Where did these enormous children come from,

More ladylike than we have ever been?

Some of ours look older than we feel.

How did they appear in their long dresses

More ladylike than we have ever been?

But they moan about their aging more than we do,

In their fragile heels and long black dresses.

They say they admire our youthful spontaneity.

They moan about their aging more than we do,

A somber group--why don't they brighten up?

Though they say they admire our youthful spontaneity

They beg us to be dignified like them

As they ignore our pleas to brighten up.

Someday perhaps we'll capture their attention

Then we won't try to be dignified like them

Nor they to be so gently patronizing.

Someday perhaps we'll capture their attention.

Don't they know that we're supposed to be the stars?

Instead they are so gently patronizing.

It makes us feel like children--second-childish?

Perhaps we're too accustomed to be stars.

The famous flowers glowing in the garden,

So now we pout like children. Second-childish?

Quaint fragments of forgotten history?

Our daughters stroll together in the garden,

Chatting of news we've chosen to ignore,

Pausing to toss us morsels of their history,

Not questions to which only we know answers.

Eyes closed to news we've chosen to ignore,

We'd rather excavate old memories,

Disdaining age, ignoring pain, avoiding mirrors.

Why do they never listen to our stories?

Because they hate to excavate old memories

They don't believe our stories have an end.

They don't ask questions because they dread the answers.

They don't see that we've become their mirrors,

We offspring of our enormous children.

Parents Pantoum

Stanzas 5-9

Pantoum- John Ashbery

Pantoum Stanzas 1-4

Eyes shining without mystery,

Footprints eager for the past

Through the vague snow of many clay pipes,

And what is in store?

Footprints eager for the past,

The usual obtuse blanket.

And what is in store

For those dearest to the king?

The usual obtuse blanket

Of legless regrets and amplifications

For those dearest to the king.

Yes, sirs, connoisseurs of oblivion,

Of legless regrets and amplifications,

That is why a watchdog is shy.

Yes, sirs, connoisseurs of oblivion,

These days are short, brittle; there is only one night.

Pantoum

Stanzas 5-7

That is why a watchdog is shy,

Why the court, trapped in a silver storm, is dying.

These days are short, brittle; there is only one night

And that soon gotten over.

Why, the court, trapped in a silver storm, is dying!

Some blunt pretense to safety we have

And that soon gotten over

For they must have motion.

Some blunt pretense to safety we have:

Eyes shining without mystery

For they must have motion

Through the vague snow of many clay pipes.

The Music Festival

My Peice

I have created my own Pantoum about the experience of a music festival.

Stanzas 1 & 2

Stanzas 3 & 4

Stanza's 1-4

Yet, the loud and bubbly crowd

could be haunted by a photo,

while everyone else carries on.

Wishing to be frozen in time,

A photo truly haunts-

the fragile bones and lingering sunburns.

They wish to freeze time, never let the music stop.

One who was present cannot forget.

I’ll never forget.

Pools of people standing under the happy sun,

while flashing lights sprawled across them.

One could lose themself in the moment.

Pools of people stuck under the happy sun

stayed loud and bubbly until the moon arrived.

One had lost themself in the moment,

but everyone else carried on.

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